Quilting is becoming an increasingly important and integral part of my life. My creative outlet changes how I view the world around me, influences the activities I pursue with my family, and introduces me to new people whose life paths wouldn't ordinarily intersect mine. My life is much like my favorite types of quilts - scrappy and unconventional, full of interest and surprises, and with an underlying current of making do (and making something beautiful!) with what I have.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Enough sulking around and being in a grumpy mood! I am determined to have a great day. I woke up with a plan:

1. Don't hit the snooze button. I'm a morning person, so I don't usually hit the snooze button, but lately, I've been unwilling to face the day so I've been making frequent use of the 9 extra minutes. Unfortunately, I think the discombobulation that comes with waking up every 9 minutes has affected my daily outlook, so this morning, I hopped up at the first hint of the alarm. (Of course, I had to stand still for a couple minutes while the world stopped spinning from my catapult out of bed...)

2. Pamper myself. I admit it, I try to do too many things, and often neglect taking care of me. This morning, I started by cutting my fingernails and my toenails, then took a long shower, taking the time to shave my legs and pits. (Sorry if that is too much info for some of you, but it needed doing.) I slipped on a pretty new dress, and bam! I left the house feeling much better than I have all week.

3. Indulge myself. In a dual effort to lose 5 more pounds and to save money, I've been denying myself things that I really enjoy, namely specialty coffees and ice cream. I had a half-off coupon in my wallet for a specialty coffee so I said, "What the heck!" and stopped by the coffeeshop on my way into work and picked up a tall Irish Nut (with Irish Cream and Hazelnut, yum!) to sip on my walk up the hill from the parking lot to the office.

4. Set goals. In many ways, I am a deadline driven, goal oriented person. During the busy times of year at work, I feel uber productive because I thrive on checking things off my long lists of pressing items. This time of year, there is stuff to do, but nothing seems urgent, so I find myself wondering, "What's next on my Netflix queue?" and "I wonder what (insert blog writer's name here) is doing these days?" rather than making a list and making my way through it. This morning, I am making a list.

5. Cleaning up. I'm a libra. Let's face it, we are known for liking things to look nice. Harmony is important to us. Right now, neither my house, nor my office radiates harmony. I'm going to start with this pile of "eh, I'll get to it later" stuff on my desk - I vow that my desk will be cleared by the end of the day. How wonderful it will be to walk in on Monday to a cleared desk! And then, this weekend, I vow to do at least one cleaning chore a day beyond my usual dishes, laundry and sweeping the floor. I need to get past the surface and clean some bathrooms, mop some floors, dust. I'm certainly not going to knock myself out cleaning this weekend - after all, the weekend is ours to enjoy, right? - but, since I know that a cleaner house will make me happier, I should be pro-active and do something about it.

6. And last, but not least - QUILTING! Again, I'm going to set some goals. This orphan top

will be sandwiched and tied before the weekend is over (of course, the binding will have to wait until I have a functional sewing machine).

And I will finish quilting the center of this quilt (I'm pretty close already)

and start quilting the border. Hold me to it guys - if I haven't posted photos by Sunday, harrass me until I do.

So, today is mine to make great if I so choose. If it is not, I have only myself to blame.

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. - Winston Churchill

Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't plan on harvesting Golden Delicious. - Bill Meyer

Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway. - Emory Austin

A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition. - William Arthur Ward

In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. - Albert Camus

When you feel dog tired at night, it may be because you have growled all day. - Author unknown

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About Me

I am blessed with a fantastic family - an attentive husband; two smart, handsome and extremely active sons, a mom of uncommon strength and limitless love, three smart and fun siblings, and in-laws to die for. I enjoy my job working in college admissions, but I would gladly give up my career to be able to quilt full time.